WOMADELAIDE: MUSIC, ARTS & DANCE

Words & Images by Seth Rubin

WOMADelaide Festival :: 03.10 - 03.12 :: Adelaide, Australia

WOMADelaide 2006

March 10th, 2006 marked the convergence of thousands of enthusiastic and ever-so-friendly festival-goers from all over Australia in Adelaide's Botanic Park, adjacent to the National Gardens, for three days of spectacular music, arts and dance performances from around the globe. The WOMAD's tenth year in Adelaide filled six stages with over 430 artists from 27 countries to entice the crowd with culture, language, music, dress, attitude, and most importantly, spirit.

It's truly amazing to witness, that with all the war and strife throughout the world, so many cultures can join together to live and play music amongst one another and spread so much love to those around them! The good vibe was infectious and simply radiated within everyone - artists, festival staff, and audience alike.

Lura :: WOMADelaide 2006

As fans headed from one stage of wonderful music to the next, the atmosphere was alive with inspiration and joy. You could find young kids hanging from the trees and playing tag throughout the park, 'Uni' students catching up while enjoying local Cooper's fine ales, parents raising their young over head for a better view, and the elders relaxing on blankets to the mellow sounds of the strings. Others sought shade from Saturday's 95 degree heat under the massive Moreton Bay fig trees or cooled off at the park's central sprinkler rig.

The WOMAD festival served as an extension of what the city of Adelaide, and other Australian cities, already represents - a tolerant and worldly society full of travelers and those who anticipate such future opportunity. While the language barriers in everyday Adelaide are minimal, they certainly existed throughout these three days on the festival grounds. Lura, native to Cape Verde, Africa, for instance, mesmerized the crowd with her beauty, charisma, and voice, but like many others, had difficulty communicating her own appreciation to the crowd through her limited English vocabulary. Lura was just one of many foreign visitors who, while struggling with the common language, amazed thousands, bringing many to their feet, others to laughter, and surely a few to tears. This was clearly an example of the simplicity of these barriers and an indication of how music and the arts are capable of breaking them down.

Dhol Foundation :: WOMADelaide 2006

Accommodating the crowd of all ages and interests was a wide array of musical styles, spanning the bridge from pop to traditional, and there was even a world famous electronic DJ, Talvin Singh. Saturday afternoon's intense sun brought out acts like Joe Camilleri and Nicky Bomba's new project Limestone, an energetic lovers' rock reggae/ska blend from the island of Malta from where both originate. Sunday afternoon you would have been hard-pressed to find anyone sitting during the Dhol Foundation, an explosive drum-based band from India and the UK. Their music can still be found ringing through the word-of-mouth heard on the streets over a week following their performance!

Coco Mbassi :: WOMADelaide 2006

The dusk hours brought along a slightly more subdued atmosphere with the likes of Coco Mbassi, native of Cameroon. The crowd relaxed at the Zoo Stage to Mbassi's mellow and uplifting blend of African roots and jazz and did their best to sing along with her foreign lyrics and to provide a clap-beat behind the acoustic guitar. One would be greatly mistaken to say that the audience at her feet looked up to Coco in solely a physical sense as she exuded her positive being through each and every song.

Sekar Budaya Nusantara :: WOMADelaide 2006

Many other artists of the late-day performances brought along a different element, intriguing a more refined mastery of the arts. Evelyn Glennie of Scotland, a world-renown deaf solo classical percussionist, managed to fill an entire stage with percussive instruments in which she poured all her energy, playing to the brink of tears. The Sekar Budaya Nusantara dance-drama group from Indonesia acted out a collection of literary stories in elaborate dress to traditional music. Others sipped the "magic water," laid back to connect with the stars above, and took a trip with Dr L Subramaniam, a classical/jazz composer regarded as the "Paginini of Indian Classical music."

Several Australian artists provided a bit of the local flavor and were greeted by loyal fans singing along in the front row. Clare Bowditch and the Feeding Set excited the men with not only their beauty but also with their humorous songs of their idea of paradise, Mexico's Corona brewery. LABJACD, of Melbourne, brought together its nine young members from a range of jazz, salsa, funk, and Cuban bands. While delivering to the crowd an energetic array of original danceable tunes, the band was by no means left out, maintaining an impressive stage presence and dancing, sax in hand, just as hard!

Miriam Makeba :: WOMADelaide 2006

And while the many acts over these three days kept the audience excited and wanting more, it was the opening and closing acts of the festival that were two of the main attractions. "Mama Africa" Miriam Makeba started off her farewell tour Friday night to a park full of anxious listeners. While it took the crowd some time to warm up, they quickly rejoiced at the 74 year-old's energy and beautiful spirit and displayed their appreciation through cheer for an extended encore. And lastly, closing out a wet and rainy Sunday night, was reggae legend Jimmy Cliff. Cliff and his band entertained the crowd with staples such as "The Harder They Come," "Vietnam," and "Many Rivers to Cross" and with more recent releases such as "People." "People" seemed to perfectly summarize this incredible weekend of unity and acceptance with its lyrics: "People, let's get together, and show our power, all over the world."

And as the wet spectators left the WOMAD behind, they were no sooner greeted with free plates of leftover chicken curry, Greek pastries, and other delectable cultural treats for a pleasant trip home.

For more information and the schedule of other WOMADs around the world, check out their official website at www.WOMAD.org.

WOMADelaide 2006
WOMADelaide 2006
WOMADelaide 2006
WOMADelaide 2006	WOMADelaide 2006
WOMADelaide 2006
Ba Cissoko :: WOMADelaide 2006
Dr L Subramaniam :: WOMADelaide 2006
Evelyn Glennie :: WOMADelaide 2006
Evelyn Glennie :: WOMADelaide 2006
Coco Mbassi :: WOMADelaide 2006
WOMADelaide 2006
WOMADelaide 2006
Claire Bowditch and the Feeding Set :: WOMADelaide 2006
Farida and the Iraqi Maqam Ensemble :: WOMADelaide 2006
Golden Pride Childrens Choir :: WOMADelaide 2006
Golden Pride Childrens Choir :: WOMADelaide 2006
Gupapuygnu Dancers :: WOMADelaide 2006
Gupapuygnu Dancers :: WOMADelaide 2006
Jalsa Creole :: WOMADelaide 2006
Jalsa Creole :: WOMADelaide 2006
Joe Camilleri & Nicky Bomba :: WOMADelaide 2006
La Bottine Souriante :: WOMADelaide 2006
LABJACD :: WOMADelaide 2006
Musafir Gypsies of Rajasthan :: WOMADelaide 2006
Musafir Gypsies of Rajasthan :: WOMADelaide 2006
Musafir Gypsies of Rajas :: WOMADelaide 2006
Neda Rahmani :: WOMADelaide 2006
Orchestra Baobab :: WOMADelaide 2006
Orchestra Baobab :: WOMADelaide 2006
Ravibandhu Vidyapathy Ensemble :: WOMADelaide 2006
Saltwater Band Geoffrey Gurrumul :: WOMADelaide 2006
Sekar Budaya Nusantara :: WOMADelaide 2006
Studio Flamenco :: WOMADelaide 2006
Talvin Singh :: WOMADelaide 2006
Tommee and the Neighbourhood :: WOMADelaide 2006
Tommee and the Neighbourhood :: WOMADelaide 2006
All Star Jam :: WOMADelaide 2006
ChicoCesar :: WOMADelaide 2006
Chico Cesar :: WOMADelaide 2006
Miriam Makeba :: WOMADelaide 2006
Jimmy Cliff :: WOMADelaide 2006
Jimmy Cliff :: WOMADelaide 2006

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